ST. LOUIS — Panera is being acquired by a holding company that owns controlling stakes in Keurig Green Mountain and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
The company has entered into a merger agreement with JAB, in which JAB will acquire Panera for $315 per share in cash in a transaction valued at about $7.5 billion, the two companies announced Wednesday.
As of Dec. 27, there were 2,036 Panera bakery-cafes in the United States, including one in Columbus, Indiana. Panera also has stores operating under Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Cafe.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
